Turning-plate



G. L,`Sn. TUR PLATE.

Anon man Nov 3 K APPLc ..1919. Y.

' 1,386,999, f I PatentedAug.9, 1921.

NETE@ TATS GODFREY ENGEL, SR., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TURNING-PLATE.

Application mea november 3, 1919.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GODFREY ENGEL, Sr., a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have.invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turning-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is a turning plate for sugar-cane mills.

One of the objects of the invention is to collect the juice expressed from the cane by the first pair of rolls, ordinarily known as the feed and top rolls, and to prevent reabsorption of the juice by the crushed cane in its passage over the turning plate to the second set of rolls. This object is accomplished by making the turning plate of hollow construction and providing it with an inlet in the top thereof fr the extracted juice. The juice collected in the hollow turning plate is carried off through a suitable outlet, this action being usually facilitated by means of a suction pump.

A further object of the invention is to keep the juice inlet in the turning plate free and unobstructed. This object I have accomplished by the provision of a pressure connection for blowing the juice inlet clear.

Another object is to prevent fermentation of the extracted juices. This object I have accomplished by bringing a fermentation preventive into contact with the juices eX- tracted at the turning plate.

Other features of the invention relate to the particular construction of the turning plate and to other details, all of which will be understood from the following specification.

In the drawings referred to, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a sugar cane mill illustrating an embodiment of the invention incorporated therein, said view being taken substantially on'the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a broken and part vertical sectional view of the turning plate.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on substantially the plane of the line 3-3 of Fi .2.

ig. 4 is a top plan view of the turning plate as associated with the feed roll, the latter being shown as broken away.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 335,302.

Fig. 5 is an end viewl of the turning plate as seen from substantially the plane of the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the turning plate. Y

The mill illustrated is of typical construction embodying the top roll 6, coperating with a feed roll 7 and a discharge roll 8.

9 designates the turning plate or beam, the same being shown as of hollow construction to provide a collecting chamber or pocket 10 therein.

11 designates the inlet slotV providedin the curved top of the plate adjacent thev forward edge' thereof and relatively close to the feed roll. This inlet slot may be continuous or interrupted as indicated in Fig. 4. The forward edge of the turning plate is shown as toothed at 12 to match the corresponding corrugations 13 in the feed roll. A

In making up the turning plate, I have found it best thus far to construct the plate or beam as a hollow casting open at the top and to provide a detachable cover plate 14 for closing said open top and a detachable lip 15 of hardened steel, for instance, constituting the toothed forward edge of the plate. The cover plate and lip may, if desired, be made in one piece. Y

VThe juice which flows through the inlet slot or'slots 11 is collected in the chamber in the turning plate and is led olf therefrom by a suitable outlet or outlets, two of such outlets being shown in the form of tubular hubs 16 from which discharge pipes 17 are led to the collection tank or tanks. These tubular hubs thus provide bearings on which the turning plate may be rotatably adjusted to bring it into proper mesh with the rolls.

To prevent the inlets froml becoming obstructed with the crushed cane or bagasse,v

have shown aconnection 18.for supplying steam or 'air or other fluids under pressure to the chamber 19 located inthe upper partV of the turning plate in rear of the inlets and connected with 'the inlets through a passage, 2() (Fig. 1), positioned wellv above the juice outlet to prevent vblowing out the juice.

When it isdesired to blow the inlets clear, the drainage outlets or outlet are usually closed and the steam or air under pressure is ,admitted through Ythe Connection 18. This Patented Aug'. 9, 1921.

' Lio fluid under pressure frees the inlets of any obstructions and also serves to keep the interior of the turning plate fresh and clean1 thus preventing any fermentation or other injurious action within the turning plate.

In order that the collected juice may be quickly disposed of the outlets 17 may be connected with a suitable suction pump and in this connection 1 might say that my invention contemplates the provision of an automatic valve mechanism .by which the flow to the pump will be automatically cut off when the pressure is admitted through the pressure connection described.

From the foregoing it will be apparent', that in the 'operation of the mill cane crushed between the first set of rolled surfaces will be deflected and passed by the turning plate on to the second set of roller surfaces, and that the juice expressed by the first set of roller surfaces will be immediately collected and drained off by the turning plate without giving the cane, in the process of its reexpansion between the rolls, an opportunity to re-absorb the juice. rlhe turning plate is kept clean and sanitary by the means described and when desired, the interior of the same can be readily inspected by the removal of the top piece or pieces.

rEhe admission of the cleansing or treating fluid may be controlled by means of a suitable valve such as indicated at 217 located. at one end of the turning plate.

The fermentation preventive, which may be calcium hydrate for instance, may be introduced, as indicated in 6, by means of a supply connection into a channel 25 having communicating passages 25 extending up through the top of the turning plate in the rear of the juice extraction slots 11 and disposed so as not to interfere with the cleansing effect of the compresser. air7 gas or other fluid that may be used. As is well known in the art, fermentation frequently starts as soon as the juice is extracted from I the cane. rlhe construction just described enables me to forestall and overcome any tendency toward fermentation.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that this invention makes it possible to collect the juice immediately after it is expressed by the first pair of rolls and to thus prevent said juice being i'e-absorbed by the expanding cane as it passes on to the second pair of rolls. This fact' enables me to materiallyv reduce the number of rolls necessary since the cane, after passing over the turni ing platej contains but a comparatively small amount of juice. This, it will be seen, frees the subsequent set of rolls of the necessity of extracting juice formerly expressed by preceding sets of rolls, so that such subsequent rolls are merely called uponV to express the juice which has notl been. extracted by the crushing of the cane in the first sets of rolls. rl`his enables each set of rolls to perform its work efficiently and free of any accumulations from the preceding rolls.

Another feature which is of importance is the introduction of reagents. antiseptics or other media to the juice or to the crushed cane to prevent or retard fermentation, deterioration7 inversion or other injurious ac tion which ordinarily begins immediately the cells of the sugar-cane are ruptured.

rilhe so-called air connection described? enables the juice extracting openings to be kept free and unobstructed at all times and this enables the inachine to be operated continuously and uninterruptedly. This also is a factor in keeping the juice clean and uncontaminated.

Another important advantage of my invention to which attention is called is that l have secured the advantages mentioned without materially modifying the structure of the cane mills as now employed and without increasing the distance between the rolls or adding` to the bulk Vof the mill7 the desired results being accomplished substantially all within the compass ordinarily occupied by the turning plates heretofore employed.

llilhat 1 claim is:

1. A hollow turning plate for cane mills having a juice collecting `chamber provided with a juice receiving opening in the top thereof and with an outlet at the bottom thereof for the extraction of the `collected juice.

A hollow turning plate for cane mills provided with a juice receiving opening in the top thereof and with an outlet for the extraction of the collected juice and means for applying 'suction to said outlet. Y

3. A hollow turning plate for cane mills provided with a juice receiving opening in the top thereof and with an outlet for the eX- tra'ction of the collected juice in the lower portion thereof and with a pressure supplying connection above said outlet.

l. A. hollow turning plate for cane mills provided with a juice receiving opening in Athe top thereof and with an outlet for the eX- traction of the collected juice in. thel lower portion thereof and with a pressure supplying connection above said outlet, means for applying suctionto the outlet and means for supplying pressure through the pressure connection for blowing out the juice inlet. j

5. A. hollow turning plate for cane mills provided with a juice receiving opening in the top thereof and with an outlet for the extraction of the collected juice in the'lower portion thereof, with a pressure connection above said outlet, means for applying suction to the outlet, means for applying pressure through the pressure connection for blowing out the juice inlet, and means for automatically closing the outlet upon the application of such pressure.

6. In a .cane mill having feed and discharge rolls, a hollow turning plate between said rolls having a juice inlet in the top thereof near the feed roll and a drainage connection leading from the lower portion of said hollow turning plate.

7. A hollow turning plate for cane mills provided with a juice receiving opening in the upper forward portion thereof and with means in rear thereof for blowing out said juice receiving opening.

8. A hollow turning plate for cane mills having an inlet slot inthe upper forward portion thereof, a collecting pocketbelow said inlet, and a pressure chamber above said pocket and in rear of the inlet.

9. A hollow turning plate for cane mills having an inlet slot in the upper forward portion thereof, a collecting pocket below said inlet, a pressure chamber above said pocket and in rear of the inlet, a drainage connection from said pocket, and a pressure supply connected with the pressure chamber.

10. A hollow turning plate provided with an inlet in the top thereof and mounted on tubular bearings open to the interior of the plate to enable a rocking adjustment of the plate with respect to the rolls of a Icane mill and the extraction of juice through said tubular bearings irrespective of such adjustment.

11. In a cane mill, a hollow turning plate provided with a juice extracting opening and with another opening for the introduction of a reagent or other material.

12. In a cane mill, a hollow turning plate provided with a juice extracting opening, means for blowing said opening clean and means for introducing a reagent or other media to the material contacting with the turning plate. Y

13. In a cane mill, a hollow turning plate provided with juice extracting openings in the top thereof and with reagent supplying openings also in said top, means for supplying a reagent through said latter openings and means for conducting oif the juice from the juice extracting openings.

14:. In a cane mill, a hollow turning plate provided with juice extracting openings in the top thereof and with reagent supplying openings also in said top, means for supplying a reagent through said latter openings, means for conducting oif the juice from the juice extracting openings and means for blowing clear certain of the openings in the turnino plate.

15. In a cane mill, a hollow turn-ing plate provided with a juice extracting chamber opening through the top of the turning plate, said turning plate having an air chamber open to the juice extractingopenings in the top of the turning plate and also a reagent supplying `'chamber open to the top of the turning plate. j

In witness whereof f I hereunto set my hand this 31st day of October, 1919.

GODFREY EN GEL, SR. 

